Saturday, 30 January 2010

Asian ladies on TV

It's quite nice seeing Asian women on TV. Growing up this was a rare sight - I dimly recall Jamila Massey on episodes of "Mind your language". Ms Massey appeared in "Eastenders" but I had already stopped watching that after people took the mickey out of me for looking like ShobuKapoor (I still cringe anytime I think of it and her pronounciation of Sanjaaaaay). I am sure she is a lovely lady but I didn't like the comparison with her character GitaKapoor as she wasn't very glam. Have to say Eastenders has always been good about having Asian women in it's cast though.All things improved vastly when Asian comediennes appeared: MeeraSyal and Nita Wadia came on the scene with the hilarious "Goodness Gracious Me", ShobnaGulati in "Dinnerladies" and Mina Anwar in "The Thin Blue Line".The ladies haven't done badly in film either with ParminderNagra in Bend it Like Beckam, and Archie Punjabi in East is East.I love that name...Archie Punjabi. It's a perfect name for a cartoon character. Not that that is what she is. She was born in Barnet where I grew up so she kinda speaks as my friends and I do. Last week I caught her in a prominent role on a new show "The Good Wife". I hope she will be as successful over there as Parminder has been.